Nerekhta District: Monastic history in Troitsa

The Troitsa-Sypanovsky Monastery complex is located in the village of Troitsa. It includes a church, an enclosure and towers; the Trinity Church dates to 1722. Those interested in the history of sacred architecture can connect different chapters of a long monastic tradition here.

Monastic history in Troitsa

An early phase of construction took place around 1365–1378. With the support of Nerekhta residents, Pachomius of Nerekhta built a wooden Church of the Life-Giving Trinity here. In 1675–1676, a stone Trinity Church was built to replace the wooden monastery church. This sequence makes it possible to trace the transition from wooden to stone construction at a specific site, without conflating the different construction periods into a single phase.

An event from 1675 is also part of this history: on May 6, the relics of Pachomius were found during excavations beneath the altar of the former church. The relics are among the sacred treasures of the Troitsa-Sypanovsky Pachomius of Nerekhta Convent. They also include the wonderworking Vladimir-Nerekhta Icon of the Mother of God and the holy spring of Pachomius. In Troitsa, architectural landmarks and places of religious remembrance thus come together. For travelers drawn to this cultural focus, the monastery’s history offers a concrete reason to learn more about the area.

More sides of Kostroma Oblast

Beyond Nerekhta District, the wider destination of Kostroma Oblast offers other distinct points of interest. The Kologrivsky Forest State Nature Reserve consists of two sections, preserving different southern taiga landscapes with zonal and provincial physical-geographical features. The “Journey to the Protected Forest” tour includes the ecological trail of the same name, which passes through a section of old-growth southern taiga forest. Check the tour’s operating conditions before your trip.

A cultural counterpoint in Kostroma Oblast is Shchelykovo, the country estate of Russian playwright Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky. Tours of the park and A. N. Ostrovsky’s house take place at 10:00, 11:30, 13:00, 14:30 and 15:30. They are available for groups of five or more, or for a fee covering five people. Since the schedule may change, confirm the dates and applicable group or payment requirements before making plans.

At the Susanino Local History Museum, exhibits in five halls tell the story of the Susanino region, covering nature, archaeology, history, culture and daily life in sequence. The renovated exhibition “At the Crossroads of History and Legend” features Ivan Susanin and Savrasov’s painting “The Rooks Have Come” as themes of importance to the region. The museum also offers walking and bus tours to places associated with Ivan Susanin, including the Isupovo Marsh and the villages of Derevenki and Domnino. Check the dates of these tours before making plans.

The Kostromskaya Sloboda in Kostroma offers further cultural insights: visitors can see historic wooden houses and churches, as well as ethnographic exhibitions about the lives of peasants in Kostroma Oblast. The Museum of Dreams in Nerekhta tells the city’s history through the life stories of people who dared to dream big; original memorabilia bring their stories to life. The Natural History Museum, meanwhile, contrasts present-day animals, birds, insects and fungi with the paleontological past of the Kostroma region in its permanent exhibition.

Keep your travel focus in mind when looking for a vacation rental

When choosing a vacation rental, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on: in Nerekhta District, Troitsa is known for its monastic history and religious relics. The natural and cultural destinations mentioned above broaden the range of interests covered by the wider destination of Kostroma Oblast.

Discover more destinations: Volgorechensk, Kostroma District, Mytishchi District, Makaryevsky District, Kostroma District, Sharya District.

Back to the main travel overview: Kostroma Oblast.